Horrie the Wog Dog was a white Egyptian terrier cross puppy who was found in the Ikingi Mariut area of the Western Desert by VX13091 Private James 'Jim' Bell Moody, a despatch rider attached to 2/1 Machine Gun Battalion. Jim took him back to his signals platoon but Horrie was soon adopted by the entire battalion. He went on route marches and accompanied the commanding officer on parade. He was promoted to honorary corporal and assigned the service number 'EX1' (No 1 Egyptian soldier). Horrie travelled in Moody's kitbag when the battalion moved to Greece. His acute hearing meant that he could give the men early warning of approaching German aircraft. Evacuated to Crete on the 'Costa Rica', Horrie survived the sinking of the ship and narrowly escaped being crushed between two life boats. On Crete he acted as a messenger dog. Outlying patrols tied a handkerchief containing a message around his neck and he returned to Moody in the olive groves below. During the evacuation of Crete Horrie was wounded by shrapnel. In Palestine he suffered from the effects of severe cold and snow during winter and a coat (RELAWM32386) was made for him to keep him warm. It as here that he met Imshe the female terrier mascot of another unit. In February 1942 Moody had Horrie checked by a vet in Tel Aviv before the battalion returned to Australia via Suez. He adapted this pack so that Horrie could be carried concealed in it and trained the dog to travel quietly in it. Jim strapped his helmet over the back of the pack to conceal the ventilation holes he had cut in it. On the troop ship returning home Moody or one of his friends stayed with Horrie at all times ready to conceal him. Imshe had been discovered on the ship, as well as a cat mascot, and both had been killed in accordance with quarantine regulations. Horrie was smuggled off the ship in Adelaide and sent to live with Jim Moody's father in Melbourne while Jim went on to serve in New Guinea. Moody was discharged in February 1945 and Horrie went to live in Sydney with him. When the Kennel Club wanted to raise funds to support the Red Cross Moody offered Horrie as an attraction. This came to the attention of quarantine officials. Determined to make an example of the illegal import of a dog, they ordered Moody to surrender his dog for destruction. A dog was shot on 12 March 1945. Public outrage followed. A wreath was laid on Anzac Day at the Sydney Cenotaph for many years in Horrie's memory. Nearly sixty years later the true story of Horrie's fate was established, confirmed by two of Jim Moody's children and by one of his fellow soldiers in the signal platoon. In the week before Horrie had to be surrendered Jim searched the Dog Pound for a look alike dog. Having located one, he bought it for five shillings and surrendered this substitute 'Horrie' instead to be shot. The real Horrie was sent to live out his life near Corryong in northern Victoria where he is said to have sired many puppies. http://cas.awm.gov.au/heraldry/RELAWM32387 Link includes photo and description of pack in which Horrie was carried.